- Associated Press - Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Recent editorials from Georgia newspapers:

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Oct. 21

Valdosta Daily Times on voting access:

… Georgia’s “Exact Match” legislation that has called into question the right to vote of more than 50,000 registered voters is unreasonable, creates an unnecessary burden and amounts to voter suppression.

And now, an American Public Media report says more than half a million people were removed from Georgia’s voter rolls last summer with 107,000 of those being removed simply because they had not voted in recent elections. That number is in addition to the Exact Match enforcement that questions the legitimacy of tens of thousands of registered voters.

Exact Match means there can be no variations on voter registration forms, even slight differences between your driver’s license and registration form. At least three lawsuits have been filed accusing Secretary of State Brian Kemp and the state of Georgia of suppressing voter turnout, especially among black Georgians. The irony, of course, is Kemp is asking voters to make him Georgia’s next governor.

We believe Kemp should issue a strong statement directing election commissioners and poll workers to use common sense during early voting and on Election Day - realizing that slight variations are not voter fraud. Do not deny lawfully registered voters their basic right to vote because of some minor variation on their registration.

It does not matter if you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or completely independent, everyone should want legally registered voters to have their voices heard in every election. That is democracy in action.

At issue is this Exact Match law being strictly interpreted and enforced by Kemp’s secretary of state office, calling into question the voter registration of 53,000 people, the vast majority of them black.

To be clear, the registration caveat is not new. The system was used in previous elections when Kemp was not on the ballot. Kemp employed the practice until it was challenged in court. After the court challenge, state lawmakers changed election law to allow for Exact Match.

So, to be fair, the practice is not some unilateral action by Kemp. The Georgia General Assembly, controlled by a Republican majority, passed the bill and Gov. Nathan Deal signed it. The Secretary of State’s office oversees elections and several groups called on Kemp to step down when he announced his bid for governor.

Despite the fact 53,000 voter registration forms are under a cloud because personal information on Social Security cards may not be an exact match with driver’s licenses, Kemp has said it does not mean the affected people cannot vote. The secretary of state argues the status of voter registrations is still “pending” and those people can vote by showing proper identification at the polling place or when requesting absentee ballots. The intention seems to be to root out voter fraud. However, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Georgia. No reliable studies have demonstrated that voter fraud has risen to the levels that it could change the outcome of elections anywhere in the nation.

So, it begs the question: Why go over registration forms with a fine-tooth comb looking for slight misspellings, abbreviated forms of given names (eg. John instead of Jonathan or Jim instead of James), missed hyphens or misplaced digits in a street address? Such small irregularities do not amount to fraud and should never disqualify a citizen from voting in an election.

Shouldn’t we do everything we can to encourage voter registration and turnout? It is estimated 7 million people could vote in this hotly contested governor’s race. Still, voter turnout in Georgia is consistently below national averages. Turnout among minority communities historically has lagged far behind, so creating another barrier - a hoop for people of color to jump through in order to cast their ballots - is wrong.

Whether racially or politically motivated, any barriers placed on legitimate voter participation are not just an attack on people of color or an opposing political party, it is an attack on democracy. We do not want people who are not legally registered to vote in Georgia elections. We do want all registered voters to have equal opportunity. Voters should check their status at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov. Those with registrations on hold will see a message to contact their local county election office.

Kemp has said it is up to local election officials in each county to determine who can and who cannot vote at the polling places. We take him at his word and encourage all registered voters, including anyone whose name is on the list of 53,000, to show up to vote. We encourage poll workers to use common sense, be reasonable and fair to everyone who shows up to exercise their right and privilege to vote. Then, let us know when someone at your precinct or the elections office tells you that you cannot cast a ballot.

Go vote. Everyone, go vote.

Online: https://www.valdostadailytimes.com/

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Oct. 23

Savannah Morning News on a vote over the Sunday start time for restaurants to serve alcoholic beverages:

Some call it the “brunch bill.”

Others, the “mimosa mandate.”

Regardless, many Savannah-area voters will weigh in on the Sunday first call for alcohol at the ballot box between now and election day, Nov. 6.

Voters in unincorporated Chatham County, Savannah, Tybee Island, Richmond Hill and Statesboro will decide whether or not to roll back the Sunday start time for restaurants to serve alcoholic beverages from 12:30 p.m. to 11 a.m.

If approved, the new hours would take effect Nov. 18.

In May, Gov. Nathan Deal signed Senate Bill 17, which gives local municipalities that already have Sunday alcohol sales the option to vote to begin Sunday on-premise alcohol consumption sales at 11 a.m., rather than 12:30 p.m.

There’s a lot more than just mimosas at stake.

The Georgia Restaurant Association reports that this one change in alcohol sales could generate an extra $25,000 a year for each restaurant. The advocacy organization estimates that Georgia has approximately 4,000 restaurants that could benefit from passing the so-called Brunch Bill, yielding an estimated $100 million in additional revenue. That translates into $11 million more in state taxes.

The law, if approved by voters, will not affect alcohol sales at retail stores, which will still begin no earlier than 12:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Karen Bremer, CEO of the Georgia Restaurant Association, has said that the Brunch Bill will help level the playing field with state-owned facilities and private clubs that are already allowed to serve before 12:30 p.m. and will help the Peach State compete with other states that can already sell alcohol before 12:30 p.m.

The need to support earlier alcohol sale start times is tied to the growing popularity of brunch in Georgia, which often combines a hearty breakfast with hangover-friendly cocktails.

Over the past decade, Georgia has become an increasingly forward-thinking and business-friendly state. Passing the Brunch Bill is another logical step in making our regional economy more competitive, allowing restaurants to meet the changing needs of citizens.

Online: https://www.savannahnow.com/

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Oct. 20

The Augusta Chronicle on the race for governor:

Georgia is one of the best-run states in the nation, if not the best.

The state budget is on time and more than balanced, even after hundreds of millions invested in just the Augusta area’s higher education and cyber revolution, and even after fully funding K-12 education for the first time in memory. Our port in Savannah is being dredged to deepen our already sweeping role in international trade. We’re becoming a world leader not just in peanuts, peaches and pines, but in health, financial and cyber technologies. Ours is the eighth-most populous state, and was sixth in the nation in total population growth from 2016 to 2017. Our home has been voted the best state in the nation to do business by Site Selection Magazine five years running.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidacy of Stacey Abrams, in short, is a dubious solution in search of a nonexistent problem.

We don’t need a radical shift in the state’s course. Far from it. Yet, that’s what we may get if voters don’t get out and support Brian Kemp for governor.

Kemp is so down-home and personable and makes you feel so comfortable that, sitting there in a plaid shirt and jeans, it feels as if he’s a neighborhood handyman assessing what to do with your house. And, in fact, he has a background in construction. In reality, the outgoing secretary of state is a vastly experienced leader with remarkably broad experience in the legislative and executive branches of government and in the private sector as a businessman. And he’s talking about building on the estimable legacy of Gov. Nathan Deal.

Kemp has commissioned a comprehensive study of what the state’s next voting machines should look like. He’s proposed a Commission on Behavioral Health “to address the state and national problem of mental health and substance abuse - including issues like school security, teen suicide, and PTSD amongst veterans.” He’s come out with a health care plan that leverages the awesome power of the free market.

But Kemp’s signature plans are for public safety reform, a kind of bookend to Deal’s criminal justice reform. Kemp promises to “deport criminal aliens and crush street gangs,” saying his effort to “stop and dismantle gangs” will involve raising public awareness, funding the Criminal Street Gang Database, supporting the attorney general’s office and enhancing local law enforcement efforts.

This may be the single most important election nationwide Nov. 6 (though early voting is already on), and is certainly the most important vote you’ll cast this year. …

We urge you to vote for Brian Kemp for governor.

Don’t do it alone; get your friends and family to do so too.

Online: https://www.augustachronicle.com/

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